


Malec Oneshots

by caricature_of_intimacy



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Malec, Mild Smut, Occasional angst, Sorry Not Sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-11-20 12:57:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11335998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caricature_of_intimacy/pseuds/caricature_of_intimacy
Summary: Just a random collection of Malec oneshots I'm writing to help get rid of the lack of creativity I've had lately//Magnus heals Alec after he's attacked by a demon, and Alec goes to Magnus's apartment to thank him





	1. An Unexpected Turn of Events

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in like an hour when I was supposed to be writing an essay for school. It's really random and not that great but whatever. Enjoy!

It was past noon when Alec Lightwood awoke to his sister Isabelle lightly stroking his hair while perched on the side of Alec’s bed. His head felt a bit fuzzy, but, looking around, he realized he was in the infirmary of the New York Institute. He blinked up at her, his eyes still heavy, and managed to croak, “What happened?” Isabelle smiled softly, looking as if she was choosing her words carefully. 

“Jace got attacked by a raum demon during the mission, and you tried to protect him. The thing managed to hurt you pretty badly before Jace and I stepped in.” Alec tried to remember something, anything, from the night before, but the images simply wouldn’t come.

“Okay,” he said slowly, “so I take it last night’s mission wasn’t successful?” He asked, voice still barely a whisper. 

“Alec… the mission was four days ago,” Isabelle told him. Alec took in her words, confused for a moment, then realized what she meant. He immediately started firing question after question toward her.

“I’ve been basically knocked out for four days? What’s happened since then?? Did anyone else get hurt? Is Jace okay? Did you guys finish the mission? Did anything go wrong while I was-”

“Alec! Calm down, okay?” Isabelle interrupted. “One thing at a time. Yes, it’s been four days. We were worried, but Magnus assured us that-”

“Magnus? Who’s Magnus?” Alec interjected. Isabelle sighed.

“Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn. He’s been here at the institute healing and watching over you while the rest of us finished the mission.”

“The High Warlock of Brooklyn was here to heal me?” He sounded surprised. “Well… okay. Um. I suppose I should probably thank him. Is he still here?”

“He left this morning, once he knew you were completely healed,” Isabelle responded. Then, smirking, “I can give you his address if you want to go over there?” Alec glared at her. At least, he thought he glared at her. His head was still kind of fuzzy so it may have been more of a grimace. 

“Ha ha, Iz,” he said dryly. “No thanks. So how long am I supposed to stay here?” Isabelle stood up, stretching her arms above her head.

“Actually, Magnus said you could leave once you woke up,” she informed him, sternly adding, “As long as you’re feeling okay!” Alec rolled his eyes, tossing the covers back and swinging his bare feet over the edge of the bed.

“I feel just fine. In fact, I feel like hearing about the rest of the mission that I missed out on. Care to fill me in?” Isabelle smiled at him, and they walked through the corridors of the Institute together while she brought him up to speed with everything he had missed.

—

Alec maybe sort of kind of did actually want to go to Magnus Bane’s place to thank him. He felt weird about it, going to his sister and asking her for the address after all. Isabelle smiled knowingly. “Curious to see if the High Warlock of Brooklyn is a hottie?” she teased. Alec crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance.

“No, I just wanna make sure he knows I’m grateful. That’s all. It was nice of him to heal me,” he said with a slight blush. 

“Ooooo, my knight in shining armor! You saved my life! How will I ever repay you?” Isabelle said in a high pitched voice, batting her eyes. Alec looked up at the ceiling, counting to five before responding. 

“Seriously, Izzy, I just want to thank him. Nothing else.” Isabelle nodded her head, but he could tell she still didn’t believe him. She gave him the address though, told him to be careful going out by himself, and before he could talk himself out of it, Alec was on his way to see Magnus Bane. 

He arrived at the apartment about twenty minutes later. Somebody was leaving when he got there, so he simply went in as they went out instead of using the buzzer. When he reached Magnus’ door, he hesitated. Maybe it was a stupid idea, just showing up to a powerful warlock’s apartment for no reason other than to thank him for something he didn’t even remember. It wasn’t like Magnus Bane expected Alec to thank him, right? He probably wouldn’t want a shadowhunter showing up at his house without warning. Alec, convinced that he should just turn around and go back home, was prepared to do just that. However, when he turned, a figure was standing right behind him, looking at him curiously. 

Alec jumped slightly, his hand going to the dagger in his belt, before looking the man over. He was slightly taller than Alec, and seemingly covered in… was that glitter? Alec stared, and the man stared back. He was actually quite attractive. Alec shook away the thought, refocusing as the man spoke.

“Alexander Lightwood. I didn’t think I would be seeing you again anytime soon,” the man said. Alec raised his eyebrows. This dude knew his name?

“Um. Yeah. No. Actually, I. Um. Yes. You. Magnus Bane?” Alec said, eloquent as ever. 

“The one and only,” the warlock responded, smiling at Alec’s awkwardness. “I’m surprised you remember me. You were pretty out of it when I was healing you.”

“Right, yeah, I actually don’t really remember anything about the past few days, you included,” he said apologetically. “I just came by to say, well, thank you? For saving my life. Isabelle told me that’s what you did, at least.” Magnus looked confused for a moment.

“You’re welcome,” Magnus sounded unsure, as if maybe Alec was pulling a prank on him. “Did you really come all the way over here just to thank me?” Alec shrugged.

“Yeah, pretty much,” he said. Magnus’ eyes sparkled. 

‘Would you maybe like to come in, have a drink?” The warlock asked hopefully. Alec hesitated, looking as if he wanted to say yes, before shaking his head.

“Actually, I’ve got to get home. I missed quite a bit while I was out, as you can probably guess. Just wanted to thank you,” Alec reiterated. He put out his hand stiffly, not sure how to end the small exchange. Magnus looked amused as he reached out and shook Alec’s hand. Alec nodded, then turned and hurried down the stairs and out of the building. He paused once he got outside. Magnus had made him uneasy in a way that Alec wasn’t used to, and he took a moment to catch his breath before heading home.

—

To say that Alexander Lightwood was interesting was an understatement. Magnus was thoroughly intrigued, and while he had wondered about the shadowhunter as he went about his daily business, he certainly had not expected to arrive home and find Alec standing in front of his door. He also had not expected himself to invite the boy in for a drink, for God’s sake. Alec had looked nervous, and Magnus had only wanted to help him relax a bit, but he’d probably scared him off by being too forward. Oh, well. It didn’t matter. The boy probably just wasn’t interested. Magnus knew he should not date shadowhunters, anyway. It would make him look bad, not to mention the fact that all Nephilim were untrustworthy. Still, there had been something in Alec’s eyes that had made Magnus wonder… 

He shook his head. “Snap out of it, fool. You don’t even know the kid,” he said to himself, taking a sip of his cocktail. He decided to call Catarina for a chat, hoping she could distract him from thinking about Alec Lightwood and his deep blue eyes and his soft black hair and his smooth pale face and his pretty pink lips and the way his body had felt under Magnus’ hands as Magnus healed him… 

It was no surprise when Catarina hung up on him because he “would not shut up about some stupid shadowhunter”.

—

Alec hated himself. He really, truly despised himself. Not only that, he was out of his mind. That was the only possible explanation for why, three days later, he once again found himself standing outside Magnus Bane’s door. He took a deep breath, told himself to calm down, and knocked. He waited for a few seconds, then knocked again, harder this time. He heard a voice inside say, “Calm down, calm down, I’m coming!” Then the door opened, and Alec felt himself freeze. Magnus’ hair was glittering silver, and he was wearing a dark blue shirt with a V-neck that went all the way to the middle of his stomach, so that Alec could see the hard muscles there. A pair of black leather pants rested low on Magnus’ hips, and Alec snapped his eyes to Magnus’ face to keep himself from looking any further. Magnus was smirking at him.

“Come back to check me out, shadowhunter?” The warlock teased. Alec felt his cheeks heat up. He took a step back before answering.

“No, actually. I wanted to, um. I’m here for. Um. Could I maybe, um, you know, come inside? Your apartment?” He was aware that he sounded like an idiot, thank you very much. Magnus rose an eyebrow.

“By all means, Alexander,” he said, opening the door all the way and walking towards what Alec assumed was the living room. Alec stepped inside, hearing the door snap shut behind him as Magnus waved his hand in the air, blue sparks jumping from his fingers. Alex stood awkwardly by the door, unsure of where to go.

“Don’t be shy. Come sit, have a drink, get comfortable,” Magnus said to him. Alec sat down gingerly on the edge of the couch. He suddenly felt something cold in his right hand, and looked down to see that he was holding a glass of… something. He frowned. Magnus was standing in front of the chair across from Alec, watching him carefully, and Alec shrugged before taking a sip of the liquid. He made a face; whiskey. It was 11 in the morning. Putting his drink down on the coffee table, Alec leaned back and met Magnus’ gaze. 

“So, Alexander. What exactly are you doing here?” Magnus questioned, still standing. “Not that I’m not glad to see you, but I’m sure you have a reason other than the pleasure of my company.” He leaned against the chair’s armrest and took a sip of his own drink. Alec decided to just be blunt about it. It wasn’t like there was anything to lose. 

“I think you’re attractive,” he said, as confidently as he could manage.

“Of course you do; I am very beautiful for my age,” Magnus said arrogantly. Alec held back a smile before continuing.

“I was wondering if you wanted to get a drink with me sometime?” Magnus eyes grew brighter.

“We’re having a drink right now, aren’t we?” he replied. Alec blinked dumbly for a moment before responding.

“Yeah, I- I suppose we are,” he stammered. “Well, that makes things easier, I guess.” If he was honest with himself, Alec wasn’t really sure what he meant by that. He tried to cover up his awkwardness by taking another sip of the whiskey Magnus gave him. They drank in silence for a moment, Magnus staring at Alec and Alec looking anywhere but at Magnus. Finally, Magnus cleared his throat.

“So we have drinks. Okay. What now, shadowhunter?” Magnus said. His voice had gotten lower. Alec stared. Magnus was looking at him dangerously, as if he wanted to rip Alec’s clothes off then and there. Alec, to his own surprise, found that he didn’t mind. In fact, he could feel himself looking at Magnus in much the same way. He stood, setting his drink down again, his hands trembling slightly. He took a step toward Magnus, who put his own drink down. Before he could tell himself that he was really being very incredibly stupid, he didn’t even know Magnus, stop moving closer to him right the fuck now, Alec was right in front of the warlock, heart hammering in his chest. 

They stared at each other for what seemed like an impossibly long time, but was probably only a few seconds, before Alec leaned in slowly, brushing his lips against Magnus’. It was a light, barely there touch, but it was enough. Magnus’ hands were suddenly twisting in Alec’s hair, Alec’s own hands on Magnus’ waist, his chest, his arms. They kissed as if they knew each other, had been together for years, their mouths fitting together easily. Alec felt Magnus’ tongue brush against his own, and his hands started to shake again. Alec pulled away to walk Magnus back until he was pressed against a wall, their lips reconnecting. Magnus used Alec’s belt loops to pull Alec tighter against him, and Alec let out a small gasp, putting his right hand on the wall behind Magnus’ head to support himself. He began kissing down Magnus’ neck, stopping to suck on a spot just below his jaw. Magnus gripped Alec’s waist tightly and let out a sound that was something between a gasp and a moan. Alec decided he liked that sound a lot, and bit down on the spot before licking over it. Magnus made the sound again, his head tilting back to hit the wall, and Alec was suddenly very hard. With Magnus pressed so close against him, he could tell that Magnus was hard, too. He pulled back in surprise when he felt Magnus reach down and unbutton Alec’s jeans. Magnus looked at him questioningly. “Is this okay?” the warlock asked, suddenly unsure. Alec nodded quickly, leaning in to kiss him again. It was more than okay, he thought. 

Magnus slid Alec’s pants and boxers down carefully and lightly stroked Alec’s cock before curling his fingers around it and moving his hand impossibly slowly. Alec bit back a moan, letting his forehead drop against Magnus’, and reached his own hand down to unbutton Magnus’ unfairly tight pants, pushing them to Magnus’ knees for better access. Alec had never jerked another man off before, but he figured it wouldn’t be that hard (pun not intended). He stroked Magnus the way he would himself, only backwards. He twisted his hand around the head of Magnus’ cock experimentally, and Magnus whined softly, the sound going straight to Alec’s own dick. They stood against the wall, jerking each other off, kissing harshly, breathing heavily.

Magnus was loud; Alec was impressed by all the noises he was making, seemingly without care. When Alec squeezed his hand a bit tighter on the upstroke, Magnus gasped, then let out a low moan. Alec had to admit that it was really hot. He slid his thumb over the tip of Magnus’ cock, and the warlock dropped his head against the wall, cursing. Alec placed his left hand by Magnus’s right ear, holding himself up. Magnus used his own free hand to explore; he traced Alec’s abs with his fingertips, pressed his thumb into the spot below Alec’s hipbone, trailed his hand up Alec’s biceps. He touched lightly and carefully, a heavy contrast to how he was touching Alec’s cock. Magnus was jerking him off expertly, flicking his wrist and running his fingers teasingly along the underside. Alec had never felt so much pleasure before; it was simultaneously too much and not enough. He could feel his release building, his breathing getting erratic. Magnus’ hand came up to fist Alec’s hair, and he pulled him into a rough, open-mouthed kiss, biting Alec’s lower lip. Alec swore into Magnus’ mouth, tightening his fingers around Magnus’ cock and stroking faster, completely losing the rhythm as he got closer to his climax. Surprisingly, Magnus came first, spilling over Alec’s hand and moaning low in his ear. The sound pushed Alec over the edge, and he let out a string of curses mixed in with Magnus’ name. 

They stood there for a minute, still pressed together, catching their breath. After they had calmed down a bit, Magnus buttoned his own and Alec’s pants back up and kissed him. They were gentle this time, slower and more controlled. Their bodies were once again pressed almost completely against each other, and Magnus trailed a hand up Alec’s chest and to the back of his head, stroking through his hair. Alec somehow pushed even closer, winding his left arm around Magnus’ waist and pressing his hand against the small of Magnus’ back. They were barely kissing now, just brushing their lips together softly. Finally, Alec pulled away, just slightly, and willed his heart to stop beating so fast. Magnus’ eyes fluttered open, and he smiled.

“I’m going to be honest, I didn’t expect this to go that way at all,” he remarked, still a little breathless, and Alec looked sheepish.

“Neither did I,” Alec admitted. He stepped back, giving Magnus space to step past him, their shoulders brushing. Alec turned in time to see Magnus wave his hand, a burst of green light shooting up from his fingertips. Alec suddenly felt clean, the stickiness of his and Magnus’ come disappearing. He fought a sudden, random urge to laugh.

“So, Alexander. Now that that’s happened, what do you say we finish these drinks and actually get to know each other?” Magnus said, grinning. Alec smiled back.

“I’d like that,” he responded, once again taking a seat on the couch. 

This time, Magnus sat next to him.


	2. Neighbors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a random collection of Malec oneshots I'm writing to help get rid of the lack of creativity I've had lately
> 
> //
> 
> Alec moves into the apartment across from Magnus, and their first meeting is a bit strange. Shit, Magnus doesn't have another crush on a straight boy, does he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, this was kind of cute, and very fun to write. Read it if you want. Enjoy!

It had been an especially cold winter. Glittering white snow covered the streets of Brooklyn, and, though it was beautiful, Magnus Bane had never liked snow. He grumbled to himself as he trudged home from the subway. It was getting increasingly difficult to tolerate the weather, he thought to himself, and he was seriously tempted to go on vacation to fucking Maui or something. Not just because of the extreme cold (he had only been walking for five minutes and his feet were already numb), but also to take some time off from his job. Magnus worked for a company that helped people who had been adopted locate and reunite with their birth parents, and while it was a heartwarming program, it was emotionally exhausting. Magnus had been working there for about three years, and had never taken any vacation time. He figured he probably had a lot of vacation days saved up that he could use. Was that even how it worked? Magnus didn’t really know.

When he finally reached his building, he breathed a sigh of relief; at least he hadn’t frozen to death, he though without much cheer. Magnus dug the silver key out of his pocket, trying to hurry and get out of the cold. He climbed the stairs slowly, relishing the feeling of warmth returning to his fingers and toes. Magnus was so focused on the lack of cold in the building that he almost didn’t notice the stack of boxes outside the door across from his. He was about to unlock his apartment when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He whirled around, coming face to face with the most beautiful eyes Magnus had ever seen. The man they belonged to had dark, tousled hair, and a lopsided grin spreading across his face. The man reached out his hand. “Hi! I’m Alec,” he said. “I've just moved in. You must be my new neighbor!” Magnus blinked at the man. He was breathtaking. Those eyes, that face, that bright smile… the smile that was starting to fade a bit the longer Magnus stood and stared at him. Magnus shook himself out of it, taking Alec’s hand, as it was still stretched toward him.

“My name is Magnus,” he sad, smiling back at Alec. “I didn’t realize anyone was moving into this apartment. The last tenants moved out in March, the landlord has been trying to find someone to take it for months now.” Alec laughed a bit.

“Yeah, it was actually the cheapest apartment I could find. I came to check it out last week and it seemed nice enough, so here I am,” he explained. Magnus nodded politely, then realized he was still holding Alec’s hand. Alec seemed to notice at the same time, and they both dropped their arms to their sides. They stood awkwardly for a moment, Alec still smiling his adorable half smile, before they both spoke at the same time.

“Well, you probably have things to do,” Alec said quickly, right as Magnus asked, “Do you need any help moving in?” They both chuckled nervously, and Alec responded, “Sure, actually, that would be great!”

Magnus really had wanted to go home and relax with some wine and a movie, but Alec was so attractive, he’d offered to help without even thinking. He supposed it wouldn’t take all that long anyway, so he didn’t mind too much. As he helped Alec carry some boxes into the apartment, he couldn’t resist checking out the other man. He had a nice ass, Magnus noticed with appreciation. He looked up when he realized Alec was talking to him.

“-without them, I guess. Know what I mean?” Alec was saying. Magnus blinked. No, he did not know what Alec meant. He did not know what Alec was even talking about.

“Yeah, it’s so much better without them!” He said hurriedly, making a wild guess. Alec turned to look at him, frowning.

“Really? I don’t know. I’ve never been this far away from home without my parents before. I guess it’s just weird, them not being here. I’m sure I’ll get used to it,” Alec said. Oh. So that’s what he was talking about. Magnus cringed inwardly. He must have sounded so unsympathetic.

“Yeah, I felt like that when I first moved here too. I’m from San Francisco, so New York wasn’t too much of a change for me, but it was weird at first, living on my own,” he explained carefully. Alec set the boxes he was carrying down by a brown leather couch, and Magnus followed suit.

“You got used to it though, right? It’s not like that for too long?” He sounded worried. Magnus shook his head, not really sure why he wanted to be so reassuring to this stranger.

“Not at all. It starts to be kind of fun, actually, getting to make your own choices without having someone breathing down your neck all the time,” he laughed. Alec looked relieved as he made his way back to the hallway for the rest of the boxes.

“I’m glad you get what I’m saying,” he told Magnus, eyes shining. “I honestly didn’t think I would have such cool neighbors when I was signing the lease on this place.”

They both reached for the same box, their fingers brushing. Magnus pulled his hand away first, blushing as Alec picked up the box, then stooped to grab the box that had been underneath it. It was heavy, and Magnus struggled to stay balanced with the sudden weight. He felt himself about to fall sideways, when an arm wrapped around his waist, steadying him.

“Woah, you okay there?” Alec asked kindly. Magnus turned to look at him, an unexplainable feeling in his chest when he met Alec’s soft blue eyes. He swallowed.

“I’m fine,” he replied, his voice sounding strained. Then, as an afterthought, “Thank you, Alec.” He could feel his heart beating faster, and he told himself to calm down, that he was being silly.

But Magnus couldn’t calm down, because Alec still had an arm around him, and he was really very beautiful, and his eyes flicked down to Magnus’s lips, and Magnus swore his heart stopped, heard his own breath hitch in his throat, and Alec was leaning in, and Magnus moved forward the tiniest bit and suddenly Alec was pulling away, cheeks pink and eyes fixed on the floor. He cleared his throat, then reached out and took the box from Magnus carefully, balancing it on top of the one he already held.

“Thanks for the help, Magnus. It was nice to meet you,” he said quickly, then ducked into his apartment, kicking the door shut with his foot. Magnus stared after him in surprise. What was that all about? He shook his head, confused, and finally went into his own apartment.

__

It had been three days, and Magnus hadn’t seen his mysterious, attractive neighbor since he’d met him. It wasn’t like Magnus was thinking about him constantly or anything, it was just that Alec had been beautiful, and surprisingly easy to talk to, and Magnus really wanted to talk to him again, maybe at a restaurant or cafe, or maybe in Alec’s apartment, on his brown leather couch, just talking, laughing, having a good time, suddenly not talking anymore, but kissing instead, Alec’s soft lips moving against his, Alec’s strong hands on Magnus’s chest, in his hair…

So maybe he was thinking about Alec constantly. Maybe he was slightly crushing on him as well. So what? He couldn’t exactly do anything other than think about the guy anyway, since he never fucking saw him. Alec didn’t make any noise from his apartment: no loud music, no annoying sitcoms, never even the door opening and closing. Did he ever even leave his apartment? Magnus was just beginning to think that maybe he’d imagined Alec’s existence altogether when he heard a soft knock on his door, as if whoever was there had meant to change their mind at the last minute but their hand accidentally hit the door anyway. It was silent for a good fifteen seconds, Magnus staring at the door from his seat on the couch. Maybe whoever knocked had left. Or did Magnus imagine the knock, too? No, there it was again, louder and more confident. He didn’t think he’d been expecting anyone, but maybe he had simply forgotten.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Alec staring back at him. Magnus blinked for a moment, confused. Why was Alec there? Hadn’t he been a figment of Magnus’ imagination?

“Hello,” Magnus said slowly. “Do you need something?” Alec shifted uncomfortably.

“Actually, I’m here to ask if you want to come over tonight? A few of my friends from home are visiting, and they suggested I have a party and invite you.” Magnus felt himself raise an eyebrow, and Alec rushed to explain further. “Not like, you specifically, but like, my neighbors. Like, a get-to-know-you thing, but with alcohol and bad music. I figured, what’s the harm in a little bit of fun, right?” He sounded so nervous, Magnus almost felt sorry for him. What did he have to be nervous about?

“Sure, sounds fun. What time should I be there?” Magnus responded. Alec immediately looked more relaxed.

“Um, well, it starts officially at 9 o’clock,” he told Magnus. “But you can come over whenever, really, it doesn’t matter, you can even come right now, my friends are here but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind, just drop by whenever you feel like it,” he rambled, looking nervous again. Magnus felt his chest tighten at the way Alec was acting, shy and unsure. It was precious, and Magnus wasn’t sure if Alec even realized he was so cute, if he realized how hard Magnus was crushing on him even though they barely knew each other.

“I’ll be there at 9 o’clock,” he told Alec, “thank you for inviting me.” Alec nodded, then hesitated for a moment, seemingly wanting to say something else. Instead, he turned and went into his apartment, waving at Magnus before shutting the door. Magnus held back a laugh. He closed his own door, then leaned against it, smiling to himself. He looked at the marble clock on the wall above his kitchen counter. It was 5:30, and Magnus took a deep breath, then went to his room. He had a lot to do before 9 o’clock rolled around.

__

By the time it was a quarter to 9, Magnus was jittery and nervous, pacing his apartment. He had decided on wearing a black glittery shirt, the tightness of it and the short sleeves showing off his muscles, paired with maroon pants that hugged his waist. He had on a pair of sleek black boots that clicked as he walked. His hair was gelled up in soft spikes, and he reached up to gently pat the sides of it as he paced. He had lined his eyes with gold liner and added just a touch of glitter in the corners. And on his eyelids. And in his hair. And maybe he had put some in his eyebrows, too. Don’t judge him. Glitter adds character.

He’d begun pacing as soon as he decided his appearance was satisfactory. He wasn’t sure why exactly he was nervous, aside from the fact that Alec had left pretty quickly when they met, after Magnus almost kissed him. What if—oh god, he didn’t even want to think it— what if Alec was straight? What if he was only inviting Magnus because he would have felt guilty if he invited everyone except Magnus? What if he really didn’t want Magnus there at all, he was just trying to be a polite neighbor? He shuddered. Magnus did not want to fall for another straight boy, he already knew the pain that came with it. He tried to stop thinking horrible, possibly true things, and glanced at the clock. It was 8:59. Magnus was about to just suck it up and go to Alec’s when he thought that maybe he should bring something, like food, or drinks, or… something. He wandered into his kitchen, scanning the cupboards for something appropriate to bring to a party. Chips? No, he thought, Alec probably had enough snacks. He rummaged through the drink cabinet for a minute, settling on a bottle of red wine, despite thinking that it was too formal. He checked the time again: 9:04. Magnus supposed he had time to look in a mirror one more time, make sure that he looked good enough. Not that it mattered, he reminded himself, Alec is probably straight anyway. He sighed, deciding to quit stalling and just go to the party. It would be rude to show up later than 9:15, and really, he was just glad Alec had bothered inviting him in the first place.

__

It seemed as if half the building was crammed into Alec’s small apartment. Magnus could smell alcohol radiating off the dancing bodies as he made his way toward the kitchen, the loud music drowning out his racing thoughts. Alec was leaning against the counter in the kitchen, talking to a gorgeous girl who was clearly his sister, and a muscled guy with blond hair. He paused in the doorway, his breathing quickening. Alec looked absolutely incredible. He had on a tight blue t-shirt, and Magnus could basically count his abs. His jeans hung low on his hips, revealing a small strip of perfectly smooth skin, as well as the sharp points of Alec’s hipbones that Magnus, for some reason, suddenly wanted to bite. When Alec looked up and saw Magnus, his eyes lit up, and he smiled that wonderful lopsided smile. “I didn’t think you would come,” he told Magnus, his voice teasing. Magnus shrugged.

“I figured I could clear my schedule for one night,” he responded, almost shouting to be heard over the music, the playfulness in his voice matching Alec’s. The dark haired girl walked over to Magnus, reaching out her hand.

“I’m Isabelle, Alec’s sister. He told me about you, it’s so nice to meet you!” she exclaimed, shaking his hand firmly. Magnus glanced at Alec, who was blushing.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Isabelle,” Magnus responded, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it.

She grinned, and turned to look at her brother, saying, “Handsome and charming? Wow, Alec, how lucky were you to have moved in across from him?” Alec blushed an even darker shade of red, and the blond haired guy smirked at Magnus.

“I don’t know how you’ve managed to catch the attention of two Lightwood siblings in less than a week, but I’m impressed,” the guy said easily. “The name’s Jace, by the way.” Magnus flicked his eyes to Alec once more, who appeared to be busying himself by putting some silverware into random drawers. Magnus was still clutching the bottle of red wine in his left hand, so he crossed the kitchen to stand in front of Alec, holding it out to him.

“I brought you a house warming gift,” Magnus said, and felt a shiver go up his spine as Alec took the bottle and their fingers brushed for a second time that week.

“Thanks, that’s really nice of you,” Alec said, a small smile tugging at his lips. He put the wine in a cabinet above the stove, and Magnus got a good look at Alec’s ass, which looked amazing in his tight jeans. So unfair. He turned away, and caught Isabelle smiling knowingly at him as she and Jace left the room to join the party. Magnus raised an eyebrow at her, but she just shook her head and disappeared into the crowd of people taking up Alec’s living room. Speaking of Alec, he was suddenly right in front of Magnus again.

“Seriously, thank you for coming. I thought maybe… I don’t know, you wouldn’t want to see me or something,” Alec told him, leaning in so that Magnus could hear him over the thumping music. Magnus swallowed before questioning, “Why wouldn’t I want to see you?” Alec looked apologetic at that, and he leaned towards Magnus again, saying, “I mean, I kind of tried to kiss you the other day, which was dumb of me, and I’m sorry about that.” Magnus’ heart was beating faster than it should have been at the sound of Alec saying the words “kiss you”, even if everything else he said made Magnus’ heart sink. He surreptitiously moved a step back from Alec, willing his body to calm down.

“It’s okay, it’s totally my fault,” Magnus told him, “I should have just assumed you were straight in the first place.” He sounded bitter, he realized, and tried to brush it off with a smile, but then Alec frowned.

“I’m not straight though. I thought you were,” he said to Magnus, confused. At that, Magnus’ heart resumed its rapid beating inside of his chest. He gestured to himself, to all the glitter and make up.

“Do I look straight to you?” he smirked, and Alec’s eyes widened a bit.

“You’re gay?” Alec asked him carefully, as if he wanted to be sure. Magnus shook his head.

“Bisexual as a summer breeze,” Magnus responded, even though he was sure that wasn't something people said. Alec laughed, though, his whole face lit up like a light in a dark tunnel, and Magnus thought that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t get his heart broken after all. Alec was still smiling at him, his eyes gentle, and before Magnus could chicken out, he leaned toward Alec, slowly, giving Alec time to stop him if he wanted to. Alec, however, did not seem to want to stop Magnus. Instead, he put his hands on Magnus’s waist and pressed their lips together, and they were kissing, slowly, and Magnus’ heart was now beating dangerously fast, and he parted Alec’s lips with his own, their tongues brushing, and Alec tasted like a mix of mint and peaches that probably shouldn’t have been good together but that Magnus found strangely sexy, and he ran his fingers through Alec’s soft, messy hair, and Alec curled one of his hands around Magnus’s neck and sighed into his mouth, and they really should stop, there was a party going on, Alec’s party, and they were making out in the kitchen, why were they doing that, but Magnus couldn’t find it himself to pull away. He did, however, push Alec back against the counter, their bodies pressed together, and Alec made a gasping noise that made Magnus’s pulse jump. One of Alec’s hands made its way under his shirt, exploring the muscles on Magnus’s stomach, and Magnus tightened his hand in Alec’s hair, pulling his lips away to suck on a spot below Alec’s jaw. The sound of someone clearing their throat broke them apart, breathing heavily, and when Magnus looked, he saw Isabelle standing in the doorway, arms crossed, smirking.

“Just came in to get another soda,” she said innocently, crossing the kitchen to the fridge. Somehow, Magnus didn’t believe her.

“Want to go somewhere more private, away from my sister’s prying eyes?” Alec asked, his breathing still uneven. Magnus nodded eagerly. Smiling, Alec turned to take the bottle of wine Magnus had brought out of the cupboard, then linked his fingers through Magnus’s.

“Lead the way, Alexander,” Magnus said, voice low, and Alec’s eyes darkened. Hand in hand, they made their way through the apartment together.

They didn't make it back out to the party, but neither of them minded.


	3. Vulnerability

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a random collection of Malec oneshots I'm writing to help get rid of the lack of creativity I've had lately
> 
> //
> 
> Alec knows that he can't act on his feelings for Magnus, but for some reason, Magnus doesn't seem to understand that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everybody who's reading these oneshots! They're super fun to write, and I hope you guys like them. This one's pretty short, but still quite emotional haha. Enjoy!

Alec didn’t want to do it. He didn’t know if he was strong enough to brush aside his feelings again. But he’d been given direct orders from the Head of the Institute—his mother—to seek help from a warlock, and unfortunately, Alec only knew one. He was in his room, pulling on a black t-shirt, when Isabelle came in. She sat on his bed, silently watching him.

“Do you need something, Iz?” Alec finally asked when he realized she wasn’t going to talk first. She looked down at her clasped hands, thinking carefully before responding.

“I know what Mom asked you to do,” she told him. “And I also know how hard it is for you to see Magnus and not do something you think you shouldn’t do, because of your feelings for him, but you shouldn’t just pretend that you don’t-“

“That’s not true,” Alec interrupted. He was angry all of a sudden. Who did Isabelle think she was? She didn’t get to talk about this. She didn’t get to just tell him how he felt. That wasn’t even how he felt! “My feelings for Magnus are strictly platonic. And even if I did feel… something else towards him, which I don’t, I wouldn’t act on it. My loyalty lies with this family. I won’t jeopardize that for some downworlder.” His sister was shocked; she looked at him as if he had a huge knife sticking out of his chest, but instead of pulling it out, he just kept pushing it in deeper.

“I can’t believe you would say something like that,” she said quietly. Alec shrugged.

“It’s the truth. And it doesn’t matter. I have to go,” he responded, and, not looking back at her, he quickly walked out of his room, down the hallway, out of the Institute before he said something he would regret. 

The walk to Magnus’s apartment was short, and Alec tried to keep his mind occupied with thoughts of what was currently happening. His parabatai, the one person other than Izzy that he trusted most in the world, was missing. He knew why Maryse wanted a warlock’s help to track Jace, but he still wished there was some other way. He wished they had found something else that worked before sending sending Alec off to enlist the help of Magnus Bane. Of course, his mother didn’t know about Alec's feelings. Not that he had any. Well, he did. But they were friendly feelings. Nothing else. At all.

He knocked on Magnus’s door, then stared down at his feet while he waited for the warlock to let him in.

“Alexander,” Magnus said, surprised, when he opened the door. “I certainly wasn’t expecting you to show up here any time soon. Have you come to tell me that you’ve finally realized how madly in love you are with me, and offer to elope?” His voice was teasing, but Alec could see a tiny bit of hope in Magnus’s eyes. He took a deep breath, pushing past Magnus and into the apartment before responding.

“Actually, I’m here on official Clave business. As you probably know, Jace is missing, and no matter what we do, we can’t seem to find him. We need your help tracking his location,” Alec said, facing Magnus. He hated himself for doing this, pushing aside both his and Magnus’s feelings, but he didn’t have a choice. He needed Jace back, and whatever he or Magnus might feel just wasn’t as important. That’s what he kept telling himself. 

Magnus was leaning against the door, looking thoughtful. “I remember Jace. The snobbish blond one,” he replied easily. “I’ll help you find your friend.” Alec was relieved, until Magnus continued speaking. “But, you’re going to have to do something for me first.”

“What do you want me to do?” Alec was already uneasy about this whole situation, but now Magnus was throwing him a curveball, and he didn’t know how to receive it. Magnus looked up from examining his fingernails, and stared directly at Alec.

“I want you to admit what you feel,” he said, voice steady. Alec’s breath hitched. “I’m willing to stand here, in front of you, and tell you that I care about you. I haven’t felt this way toward anybody in decades, and I’d almost forgotten how terrifying it is. But I’m not going to try to hide my feelings for you just because they’re ‘scary’. I want you to do the same. Let yourself be vulnerable, Alexander.”

As terrible as it made him feel, Alec couldn’t say what Magnus was asking him to. It was too much of a risk, one that he wasn’t sure was worth taking.

“I’m not, I- I don’t have feelings for you, not like that. I care about you, but as a friend, nothing more.” Even as he said it, Alec knew he was lying, but what else could he do? His parents would disown him for even having a crush on a guy, let alone a downworlder. He couldn’t even imagine what they would do if he was dating said downworlder. Magnus didn’t seem to understand that, though. He continued to push and confuse Alec’s head and his heart until all Alec could do was push back. Magnus shook his head.

“You know, when we first met, I wondered about you. The beautiful shadowhunter who didn’t seem to know he was beautiful. What were you like? Were you any different from the shadowhunters, even the Lightwoods, that I’d known in the past? I was curious. And I was right. You are different.” Alec frowned, confused, and Magnus gave him a sad smile before he continued, “Shadowhunters are prideful, and, though they won’t admit it, they do feel fear from time to time. But you? You’re the most scared shadowhunter I’ve ever met. You’re scared of demons, you’re scared of your family, you’re scared of the Clave. That’s a lot of fear. But, Alexander, you should never have to be scared of yourself. You shouldn’t hide who you are, what you feel, just because it’s part of the unknown, just because there are people who might want to change you. That’s not fair to you. I’ve been where you are, but I told myself to suck it up, to accept myself, to be proud, and once I’d done that, nobody could take away what makes me who I am.” 

Magnus’s words caused a tight feeling in Alec’s chest, and he didn’t like it. The warlock reached his left hand up to touch Alec’s cheek, and he closed his eyes, trying not to give in. When he opened them, Magnus’s face was directly in front of his own. “Don’t let anybody erase you who you are,” Magnus whispered, before leaning in, and he was so close, and he smelled like soap and something else that Alec couldn’t quite place, and then Alec couldn’t take it anymore, he closed the distance between them, their lips meeting. Magnus slid his arms around Alec, brushed his tongue against Alec’s bottom lip, and Alec knew what the other smell was, it was vanilla, and it swirled through Alec’s senses until he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, and he had pushed Magnus against the wall, was kissing him roughly, and he felt hands dancing over his skin, warm and gentle, and when had he taken his shirt off? Alec’s entire body was on fire, he thought, and he couldn’t do this. He pulled away suddenly, shaking his head.

“You don’t know- I can’t just- It’s not like- I don’t even see why- You can’t- Magnus, come on, understand where I’m coming from,” Alec begged desperately, still finding it difficult to breathe, needing Magnus to realize why Alec couldn’t just act on his feelings. “My family, they need to know that I’ll stand with them and the Clave, that I believe in the cause we work towards, that nothing, not my feelings or my personal life, will get in the way of my job. You can understand that, right?” He was gripping Magnus’s hand tightly, eyes pleading, but he knew it wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Magnus pulled his hand out of Alec’s.

“I understand completely,” Magnus said, not meeting Alec’s gaze. “You have to remain loyal to the Clave. What you want and what you feel doesn’t matter. What I feel doesn’t matter. Don’t worry. I get it.” Alec’s heart shattered at that. He pushed down the emotions that were bubbling up inside, telling himself to keep it together.

“It’s not that what you feel doesn’t matter, it’s just that… I don’t feel… what you feel,” Alec lied helplessly. Magnus stood up from the couch, having heard enough. He crossed the room, turning to say, “You don’t have to love me, Alexander. But you really should stop lying to yourself. It’s unbecoming.” Alec blinked, and Magnus was gone. 

“But I do love you,” he whispered into the empty room.

Alec woke up then, sitting straight up in bed, breathing heavily and glancing around the dark room wildly. He felt panicked, and his pulse was racing. He heard Magnus’s voice then, thick with sleep, but still soothing.

“Alexander? Are you alright?” Magnus sat up, yawning, and pressed a kiss to Alec’s shoulder. “Hey. I’m here, okay? I’m right here.” Alec nodded, his heart beat slowing down to normal again. “It was just a dream. Just a bad dream.” he rubbed slow circles into Alec’s back, calming his nerves.

They lay back down together, Magnus’s arms wrapped protectively around Alec. Just a dream, Alec thought to himself. Magnus wasn’t going anywhere.

And neither was Alec.


	4. Numb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a random collection of Malec oneshots I'm writing to help get rid of the lack of creativity I've had lately
> 
> //
> 
> Alec is back from fighting in Iraq, and he struggles with the effects the war has on his mind while trying to maintain his relationship with Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Warning: this oneshot contains mentions of blood and death)
> 
> This oneshot is actually a song fic, with lyrics from the song Numb by Finish Ticket. It's written in bits and pieces, rather than telling you the full story. Not sure if I like writing things this way, but hopefully you guys don't mind. Enjoy!

Alec was so glad that he was home. He was scarred, traumatized, with the guilt and pain that came with being a soldier. He knew the memories of the war would always haunt him. The men he'd fought alongside, getting shot at and bombed and dying, right in front of him. Those who he himself had shot, had killed. He couldn't change any of what had happened. He couldn't save anyone. But at least he was home. 

He looked up when he reached the airport gate, saw Magnus running toward him, looking as if he couldn't believe it was really Alec. A rush of love and compassion flooded Alec's heart, and he hurried to meet Magnus, dropping his bags to the floor so he could pull his boyfriend into a kiss. It had been over a year since Alec left for Iraq, but his feelings for Magnus hadn't changed, and it was clear Magnus’s hadn't either. He pulled away after a few seconds, aware that they were still in public.

"Come on," he said, taking Magnus's hand. "Let's go home."

__

 

"I have this reoccurring dream," Alec began slowly. "I'm lying on my floor, and there's blood everywhere, but it's not my blood. So I get up and go to the living room, and there you are. You're sitting on the couch, facing away from me, glass of wine in hand. Without turning around, you tell me, 'You should've cared a little more.' I don’t understand what you mean. You stand up and turn to face me, almost in slow motion. You’re smiling, but it’s sad, and your chest is stained red. For a moment, I think maybe you've spilled wine on yourself. For a moment, I don't realize that it's blood. That I've shot you. Then you collapse to the floor, and you're dead, and I'm trying to wake you up, because you can't be gone, but then I wake up instead. I wake up... and I don't feel anything. No sadness, no anger, no fear, nothing. I’m just numb."

Magnus was listening intently, his eyes sympathetic, as Alec struggled to explain what was wrong.

"Since the war, most of my emotions are... closed off. I can't seem to access them," Alec said. 

Magnus took his hand.

“You fought in a war, Alexander. You went through lot. After an experience like that, it's normal to feel numb. It won't last forever," Magnus tried to reassure him, stroking his thumb. He didn't know if what he said was true or not. He hoped it was. 

"That's the thing, though," Alec went on, looking down at his lap. "I don't want to just wallow in my sorrow. When broken, it's your warmth that I seek. It's you I reach out to. There are some things that I can still feel. The love I have for you, it marinates in my bloodstream, waits for you to be in my arms, for that token of your love, and in your absence, I feel this oblique uncertainty. Like, maybe you're not coming back, maybe you’re gone forever, but why would that be? I'm so confused, Magnus. I just want everything to stop. I want it to be me and you, alone in love, for the rest of forever."

Magnus couldn't stop himself from cupping Alec's face and kissing him softly.

"It will be, Alexander," he promised. "It will be."

__

 

It'd been so long since either of them had been intimate with each other, with anyone at all. Alec was taking his time, enjoying the moment. He kissed Magnus's chest, his sharp hipbones, the inside of his thighs. Then, teasingly, he licked the head of Magnus's cock, feeling the fingers in his hair tighten. He smirked, then took his boyfriend inside his mouth. Magnus moaned softly, and Alec flattened his tongue before swallowing down as much of Magnus as he could. His eyes watered, but he somehow managed not to choke. He bobbed his head up and down, used his hands to press Magnus's hips into the bed, humming and sucking and licking until Magnus's noises get louder, his fingers pulling Alec's hair, as if to warn him to stop. Alec ignored it. He wasn't a pussy. When Magnus came, Alec swallowed. 

__

 

“How did you get that scar?” the little girl in the shopping cart next to him asked, pointing to his shoulder. Alec’s throat tightened. 

He remembered the bullets raining down on them from every direction. He remembered Jace, his best friend, getting hit in the chest, falling to the ground, eyes wide in shock. He remembered everyone trying to fight back, but there were too many of them. He remembered feeling searing pain in his left shoulder, then his abdomen. He fell to the ground next to Jace, hoped he wouldn’t die, hoped Jace wouldn't die, hoped everyone would be okay. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in the hospital ward, and he was asking where Jace was, and someone was telling him that Jace hadn’t made it, that he had died an honorable death…

“Sarah! Don’t ask people questions like that,” the mother scolded, frowning. Then, directed at Alec, “I’m so sorry, she’s very curious.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Alec said, still feeling the weight of the memory in his chest. 

“Thank you for your service,” the woman said kindly before continuing down the aisle.

Alec had almost forgotten he had his army uniform on. It was a force of habit, he supposed, still putting it on every morning. He stood in the aisle, staring blankly at the cans of soup in front of him, until Magnus came back with the milk.

__

 

"I just want you to be happy, I- I want you to be you again. Please, Alexander, try to see where I'm coming from," Magnus pleaded.

"You want me to be me? This is me! This is who I am now. I fought in a fucking war, Magnus, I'm never gonna be "normal" again! If you really loved me, you'd understand that, and you wouldn't be trying to change me," Alex paused to take a deep breath, "so I guess we both have sins to confess to."

"Don't give me that bullshit! I'm trying to help you! I'm no saint, but I'm no sinner, Alec, so don't fucking say that shit!" Magnus was livid. 

"Yeah, okay, you're not a sinner," Alec's tone was sarcastic. "Well then, give me something good, dear! Give me a reason to stay, to forgive you, and I'll fucking do it!" 

Alec was sure he had more to say, but whatever it was got cut off by Magnus crushing their lips together hungrily, his hands on Alec's back, pushing their bodies together. God, I'm becoming such a fool, Alec thought, shoving Magnus up against the wall and kissing him back roughly. Soon, before either of them could even suggest going to the bedroom, Alec was inside Magnus, fucking him against the wall, Magnus's arms tight around his neck as they gasped into each other's mouths.

__

 

"Why can't you understand?" Alec said roughly. He was shaking his head. "I know no other way. You want everything to be okay again, to be normal, but it's not going to be! The things I've seen, the things I did- nobody gets it! I just can't be who you want me to be. I can't be who I was before, as much as I fucking want to be," Alec sounded helpless, and Magnus could feel his own heart breaking, knew there was nothing he could do or say to take away Alec's pain.

That night, they lay in bed. It was raining outside, the droplets tapping on the window, making everything feel calm and quiet. 

In the dark, Alec found Magnus's hand.

"I lost myself," Alec whispered.

__

 

“You aren’t serious right now,” Magnus said, the phone clutched tightly in his hand. Alec couldn’t just be giving up on them. Not after everything they had been through. “Alexander, listen to me-" he tried, but Alec cut him off.

"No, Magnus. I'm sorry, but I can't do this. Not anymore." 

Magnus swore his heart stopped. 

"But," he protested weakly, "it's supposed to be me and you, alone in love, for the rest of forever."

"At this point, forever is something that I just don't want for myself. I'm drowning out the few thoughts I left on you."

Magnus heard the line go dead. 

Alec was gone.


	5. The Cafe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a random collection of Malec oneshots I'm writing to help get rid of the lack of creativity I've had lately
> 
> //
> 
> Alec is an art student, and his friend (and crush) Magnus works at Cinnamon Café, the coffee shop down the street from Alec's college. After months, Alec finally decides to tell Magnus how he feels. Things don't quite go according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you all for reading these, especially those of you who have been leaving kudos or commenting, it means so much to me! I tried to keep this one light and fun, especially since the last one was so dark, but it does get a little angsty. It's really cute, though, and I had fun with it. Enjoy!

Alec crumpled another piece of paper. Dammit. He had wasted forty five minutes on a drawing that inevitably ended up terrible, just like the rest of them. He hadn't been able to make any good art since his brother Jace was killed in a car accident last year. This was unfortunate, seeing as Alec was an art major at the New York Institute of Education. He was halfway through his junior year, and college had actually been fun up until last year. He missed his brother, and he also missed being a decent artist.

He sighed, checking his watch. It was only 9:30 pm, so he decided to walk to the cafe down the street, both for some coffee to wake him up a little and because he knew that the cute barista, his friend Magnus, usually worked the night shift on Tuesdays. He shrugged on a jacket, laced his shoes, and headed out of his dorm and into the frosty winter air. 

After a five minute walk, Alec pushed open the door to Cinnamon Café, warmth hitting him just before the delicious smell. He loved this place. 

He had been right: Magnus was leaning against the counter behind the register, looking bored, but as soon as Alec walked in, he looked up and smiled.

“Alexander," he exclaimed. “What are you doing here? Don't you have some big art project due soon that you should be working on?"

“It’s not due for another few weeks, but the inspiration just isn't flowing lately," Alec replied, a little embarrassed, and handed Magnus a five dollar bill. "Could I get a cinnamon latte?"

"Anything for my favorite customer," Magnus winked, and Alec hoped that the dim lighting hid his reddening cheeks as he made his way to a table by the window. Once situated, he pulled his sketchbook and some pencils out of his bag. His eyes strayed toward Magnus, just to make sure he couldn't see what Alec was doing, before he picked up a pencil and began to sketch Magnus. 

Alec had met Magnus just under a year ago, about a month after Jace’s death, when he’d wandered into the cafe for the first time due to curiosity. He had immediately noticed the barista, attractive with a kind smile, but he hadn’t expected the two of them to actually become friends. Magnus had teased Alec about his coffee order, Alec had decided to get a different drink instead, and Magnus had ended up giving him both drinks for free. After that, Alec went to Cinnamon Café every day to see if Magnus was working, even if he wasn’t in the mood for coffee. 

Slowly, they had gotten to know each other. Magnus would spend his breaks sitting with Alec, the two just talking and laughing and enjoying each other’s company, and sometimes Alec would make little doodles on his napkins so Magnus would smile. 

Alec didn’t know when his friendly feelings for Magnus had developed into something more romantic in nature, but they had. Alec found himself wishing he could hold Magnus’s hand as they sat together, could pick him up after work and see a movie or go for a walk in the park, could kiss him goodnight and good morning and everything in between. Of course, Magnus didn’t know this. Alec sometimes wondered if Magnus felt the same way, but he was too scared of the possible rejection to actually ask. 

Alec also didn’t know when he had begun drawing Magnus as he sat at a table and watched the barista work, but that had happened as well. In fact, the only thing he had been able to do artistically since Jace died was draw Magnus. Anything else he tried to draw, paint, or sculpt, aside from stupid little doodles, came out wrong somehow.

Alec was so invested in his drawing and his thoughts that he didn't notice when Magnus came to stand beside his table, watching with a smile on his face. Eventually, Alec looked up, realized Magnus was there, blushed furiously, and began to frantically shuffle things around, slamming his sketchbook closed, dropping pencils everywhere, and stammering out unfinished apologies. Magnus observed the scene amusedly, setting down Alec's coffee before helping him pick up the scattered pencils. 

"Thanks," Alec mumbled, looking up at him shyly. Magnus was grinning.

"Is drawing me a part of your project?" he teased. Alec looked away.

"No, I just- um, it helps my artist's block to just draw whatever's in front of me. You were in front of me. Now you’re next to me. Um. Yeah." Alec knew it was a lame excuse, but Magnus didn't need to know that Alec could probably fill an entire sketchbook with drawings he had done just of Magnus's eyes. "Anyway, thanks for the latte."

"No problem," Magnus responded, sitting down across from him. "So, college guy, how's school been lately?"

"It could be better, I guess," Alec admitted. “Everything has just been so difficult since Jace died. Nothing ever turns out the way I want it to, you know?" Magnus knew. Alec had told him about Jace, about how hard it was for him, about how much he had loved his brother, how he would do anything to get him back, and how his art didn’t come as easily to him anymore. In turn, Magnus had told Alec about how he’d grown up with a foster family after his mother committed suicide when Magnus’s dad had left them, and how it had taken Magnus years to stop feeling responsible for both events somehow. Alec knew he could talk to Magnus about basically anything.

"Have you considered taking a semester off? It might help you gather your thoughts, give you the time you need to think things through," Magnus said kindly. Alec shook his head.

"I just need to get through the next year and a half. It’d be a waste of time, taking any time off now."

"It'll get easier," Magnus reassured him. "Never easy, but easier." He reached across the table like he was going to take Alec's hand, then seemingly decided against it, putting his hand back in his lap.

Alec felt a sudden, burning need to feel Magnus’s fingers in between his own.

"Listen, Magnus-" he started, but just then the cafe door opened, and Magnus stood, looking apologetic.

“Thirsty customer,” Magnus said, nodding to the guy who’d walked in. Boy, if he only knew. “Good luck on your project, Alec. See you soon?" he asked hopefully. Alec smiled, nodding, and gathered his things.

"See you soon."

__

After months of hopeless pining, Alec had decided to ask out Magnus. He was standing outside Cinnamon Café, freezing cold, trying to convince himself to just go inside and do it. It was winter break, his finals were over, and he didn't really have much to lose. Just do it, he told himself. What could go wrong? Taking a deep breath, Alec pushed the door open. 

Magnus had a fake smile plastered on his face as he took a short red haired girl's order. When he saw Alec, his smile evolved into a real one, and he gave a little wave. Alec grinned back, then sat at one of the tables while he waited for Magnus to be finished helping the line of tired customers.

Finally, Magnus wandered over to his table and sat down. "Hey, Alexander. No coffee today?" he asked, his eyes shining.

"No, not really in a caffeine mood," Alec responded.

"Not in caffeine mood?? In case you didn't know, this is a cafe, and we’re pretty much known for our coffee. You must be in the wrong place, my friend.” 

“Actually, I think I'm in the exact right place."

They stared at each other, both smiling, and Alec remembered what he had gone into the cafe for in the first place.

"I came in here to ask you something," he finally said slowly. Magnus raised his eyebrows, but didn’t interrupt. No turning back now, Alec thought. "I was wondering if-" 

He was interrupted by a girl squealing, "Mags! There you are!" The intruder was skipping toward them, dark hair swirling around her shoulders. When she reached Magnus, she bent down to kiss him on the cheek.

"Hey, Dot," Magnus greeted her happily, standing up to give her a hug. "Alec, this is Dot. Dot, this is my friend Alec." The girl—Dot—smiled at him. He didn’t smile back, too surprised to really do anything.

"Hi Alec! Magnus has told me so much about you! You're an artist, right?"

"Student artist," Alec replied, putting the pieces together. He stood then, saying, "Actually, I've got a project due soon, so I should probably go." Magnus frowned.

"But you just got here," he objected. 

Alec looked from Magnus to Dot. "Yeah, but, uh, so did she," he said, trying not to sound bitter. "Besides, I really have a ton of work to do for this project. I'll see you later, ok?" He walked out of the cafe quickly. Magnus knew Alec's project wasn't due for another two weeks, but he didn't want to stick around to hear any more of Magnus's protests. Not when he clearly wasn't interested in Alec the way he had hoped. 

Not when he had a girlfriend.

__

Alec had been staring at his ceiling for half an hour. He hadn’t seen Magnus in a week, hadn’t even been back to the cafe since he’d met Magnus’s girlfriend. Dot was pretty, and seemed nice enough. Alec would have been happy for Magnus if he wasn’t A. incredibly jealous, and B. upset that Magnus hadn’t even bothered to tell him. 

It wasn’t as if they told each other every little thing about their lives, but having a girlfriend seems like the type of thing you’re supposed to tell a friend, even a friend who you only see when he comes in to buy coffee from you all the fucking time. 

Alec glanced at his phone again. Over the week, Magnus had called him fifteen times, left six voicemails, and sent about thirty texts, all along the lines of “are you okay”, “did i do something wrong”, and “please call me”. Alec had ignored Magnus’s attempts to reach him. He didn’t need to explain himself. As much as he missed Magnus, he couldn’t bring himself to talk to him. Not yet. 

Instead, he thought about Magnus’s eyes, bright and beautiful and warm, whenever he looked at Alec. He thought about Magnus’s cheekbones, his angular jaw, his perfect lips. How nice it would feel to kiss Magnus, his lips and his neck and his thighs. To touch his chest and his shoulders and his back. To be pinned tightly to a wall, Magnus pressed against him, his hands roaming Alec’s body, his mouth exploring every inch of Alec’s skin. To be inside of him, their breath mixing together, their bodies connected in every way possible.

Alec wasn’t sure when he’d stopped staring up at the ceiling and started touching himself, but thinking about Magnus had him coming apart faster than he cared to admit. Darts of pleasure shot up his spine, and he couldn’t catch his breath. Alec arched his back, cursing. He came moaning Magnus’s name.

__

It was the fifth time in two days that Alec had walked past Cinnamon Café, and he still could not work up the nerve to go inside and see Magnus. He wasn’t sure why; just because Magnus had a girlfriend didn’t mean they couldn’t still be friends. Nothing had to change.

That was just it, though. Alec wanted things to change. He didn’t want to just squash down his feelings and pretend like he didn’t care that Magnus didn’t feel the same way. He wanted Magnus to want him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a choice Alec got to make.

He was at the end of the street when he decided he was being stupid. Avoiding Magnus wasn’t going to make Alec stop thinking about him, and besides, Magnus was probably confused about where Alec had been. He turned around, marched back to the cafe, and went inside before he could talk himself out of it. 

Magnus was in the middle of making a drink, so he didn’t notice when Alec went in. Head down, Alec quickly made his way to a table and sat down, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. He had purposely chosen the table hidden in the back corner so that Magnus wouldn’t see him and try to talk to him. It was a miracle he’d even gone inside, come on, he didn’t expect himself to face Magnus right away. Satisfied with this plan, Alec began thoughtlessly doodling on a napkin. 

He had been in the cafe for ten minutes when somebody came up to his table and said, “Are you gonna order something? Because if not, you have to leave.” He looked up at the person. It was a girl, probably around his own age, with light brown skin and dark curly hair. Her name tag said “Maia”. She looked bored.

“Do you work here?” Alec asked. He was used to Magnus, he’d never really interacted with, or even noticed the existence of, any other employees.

“Duh. Now seriously, are you going to buy something or not? There are paying customers who would like a table, you know.”

“Uh, sure, blueberry muffin,” Alec said absently, then went back to doodling. Maia stared at him for a moment, then shrugged and walked away, muttering something about white male privilege under her breath. 

Alec didn't acknowledge Maia when she came back, tossing his muffin carelessly onto the table. She watched him doodle for a few seconds, a knowing smirk on her face.

"He's here if you'd rather have him serve you," she said, gesturing to the napkin. Alec glanced up at her.

"What?"

"Magnus. The guy you're drawing. He's working behind the counter if you want me to-"

"No, no, it's okay," Alec interrupted hurriedly. "We're friends, I'm just making this for him. I like to doodle stuff like this and leave them for him when I go, I'm an art student, he likes it when I draw for him so that's what I was doing. Don't tell him, though, it's better when it's a surprise. Don't even tell him I was here, really. I just wanted to come in for a bit because I need to work on this project for school that's due Friday and it helps my creativity to be in here, I don't know, something about the atmosphere I guess. It's really not about Magnus at all."

Alec stopped rambling when he realized Maia had left. Alright then. 

Quickly, Alec rummaged through his bag for some money, left it on the table, shoved his pencil, the napkin, and the stupid muffin he didn't even want into the bag, and headed for the door. 

"Alexander?" 

Crap.

He was going to ignore it, he really was, but Magnus had sounded so hopeful, so relieved that Alec was there, he couldn't just leave. 

Against his better judgement, he turned to face his friend, who looked both happy and confused.

"Hey, Magnus," he tried to sound surprised. "I, uh, didn't know you were working today." 

That was the wrong thing to say. Magnus's face fell; he looked like he had just caught Alec kicking puppies.

"Is that why you came in? Because you thought I wouldn't be here?" Alec felt horrible. His friend sounded so hurt, and it was all his fault. 

"Of course not! I actually came in to see you, but you weren't behind the register, so I was going to wait at one of those tables, but then I remembered I still need to finish my project so I was about to go home," Alec paused to take a breath, "but now you're here! Hey! How are you?"

Magnus was looking increasingly angry, and Alec could feel heat creeping up his neck.

"How am I? Seriously, Alec? You disappeared! I haven't seen you in over a week, since you ran out of here like you'd seen a headless zombie. I thought I'd done something to upset you, but when you didn't come back, I worried maybe you'd been run over or something! But no, here you are, alive and well, and you just popped in to ask me how I'm doing?" Magnus looked absolutely furious, and Alec felt guilty as all hell.

"I know that I shouldn't have just ran out like that, but I really did need to work on my proj-" Alec started to explain, but Magnus wouldn't hear it.

"No, Alexander, you do not get to use that excuse anymore! I want to know the truth, I want to know why you've been avoiding me, why you haven't called me back or answered any of my texts, why you only come here when you think I won't be working. What did I do to you? Because whatever it is, I'm sorry!" 

Everyone was staring at them now, as if they were a damn Nicholas Sparks novel come to life, and Magnus's eyes were pleading, begging Alec to give him a real answer, and even with all eyes on him, Alec couldn't take it anymore. 

"You want to know why? It's because I'm fucking in love with you!" 

Alec hadn't realized it before, but as he said the words, he knew they were true. He was in love with Magnus.

The entire cafe was silent. Magnus just stared at Alec in shock. He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again. Opened it. Closed it. Finally he quietly asked, "You're in love with me?"

"Yeah. I'm in love with you. And I know that you have a girlfriend and all, so I want you to know that it's okay. We can just be friends. Nothing has to change just because I told you this." Alec's tone had softened, and he meant what he said. But Magnus was frowning.

"Girlfriend?" he questioned. "Alexander, I don't have a girlfriend."

Alec stared. "But- You- I- Um, Dot?" He stammered. Magnus's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, my god, you thought- oh Alec, no, Dot is my cousin!" Magnus explained. "Is that why you left the other day? Why you've been avoiding me? Because you thought I was dating Dot?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Alec admitted sheepishly. His pulse was racing faster than he'd ever thought possible, but he told himself not to get his hopes up. Maybe Magnus didn't have a girlfriend, but that didn't mean he felt the same way as Alec.

"Alexander," Magnus said, walking around the counter and towards him slowly. Alec's breath caught. Magnus stopped. He was standing so close that Alec could count his eyelashes. He raised his hand up to push Alec's hair out of his face, then let it rest on the back of his head. "I'm in love with you, too." 

Alec had to remind himself to breathe, and when he did, he could smell Magnus: coffee with a hint of vanilla. His heart was slamming against his chest now, and he thought he may die.

"You are?" he said. Magnus smiled at him.

"I am." 

Then, right there in the middle of the Cinnamon Café, in front of everyone, Magnus was kissing him. Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus's waist and kissed back. 

Alec was burning, his entire body full of heat, and somewhere in the back of his mind he was vaguely aware of the people around them clapping, but he couldn't bring himself to focus on anything other than Magnus. 

Magnus, who was kissing him as if it was the only thing in the world that mattered. Magnus, whose hands were running gently through his hair. Magnus, who tasted surprisingly not like coffee, but like raspberries and sugar. Magnus, who was in love with him. Magnus, who was pulling away, wait, why was he doing that, oh right, they were in public.

Alec's eyes fluttered open, and Magnus was looking at him as if he was made of stars. 

"I love you so much," he said breathlessly, smiling, and the cheering and clapping died down. Somebody went "Awwww," and they both giggled.

"I love hearing you say that," Alec replied, then whispered, "I love you, too."

"We should probably go on a date or something, right?" Magnus joked. 

"Go! Right now! I can cover for you!" Maia said from somewhere behind Magnus. Alec smiled, taking Magnus's hand in his own.

"Okay, Magnus. Where do you want to go?" he asked. Magnus laughed, his eyes bright.

"Anywhere but a cafe."


	6. Fight the Break of Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a random collection of Malec oneshots I'm writing to help get rid of the lack of creativity I've had lately
> 
> //
> 
> Alec can't let himself get close to Magnus, so he settles for casual sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but sweet! Despite the chapter summary, this is actually really fluffy and cute, and does not really have smut in it lol sorry. Chapter title is from Save Tonight by Eagle-Eye Cherry. Thanks for reading! Enjoy :)

Alec lay in bed, Magnus pressed against him, their fingers intertwined. Normally, Alec didn’t do the “cuddles after sex” thing, but he didn’t have the heart to push Magnus away tonight. He hadn’t exactly planned on sleeping with Magnus, but then again, he never did. It was just that Maryse had called Magnus to the institute because they needed help finding a Greater Demon, and nobody had informed Alec. His heart had leapt into his throat when Magnus walked in, fitting black plants snug on his hips, a velvety maroon coat tight over a sleek black shirt. Alec’s pulse raced at the sight of the warlock, and when Magnus sent him a glittery wink when nobody else was watching, Alec swore he wasn’t breathing anymore. Despite this, Alec wasn’t sure what had come over him. He usually had more self control than he had shown tonight. He had done his best to keep it in his pants while Magnus helped them find the Greater Demon, but as soon as everyone was dismissed, Alec was dragging Magnus to his bedroom, shoving him against the door, kissing, licking, biting, before they were collapsing onto the bed and Alec was inside of him, breathing heavy, nails scratching down his back, and they were moving together, fast and hot and so fucking good.

__

The first time they’d had sex, it was almost completely by accident. At least, it was on Alec’s part. He had been in his room, healing a wound he’d gotten on a mission, when Magnus came in. 

“I heard you were struck by a demon?” Magnus had said, going to stand next Alec.

“Yeah, but I’m taking care of it,” he’d responded, not meeting Magnus’s gaze. He knew if he did, he would do something stupid. But Magnus had ignored Alec’s response, put his hand on Alec’s arm, and healed him quicker than any iratze would have. Alec pressed his fingernails into his palm. “Thanks,” he said quietly. Magnus’s hand was still on his arm, warm and distracting, and Alec looked up, to tell Magnus— he didn’t even know what he had planned on saying, because the next thing he knew, Magnus had put a hand on Alec’s neck and was kissing him, and Alec had surprised himself by not pushing Magnus away, but instead pulling him closer, hands on his back under his shirt, and they had tumbled onto the bed…

__

Alec forced stopped thinking about that night. It wasn’t as if he could take it back, and even if he could, he didn’t think he wanted to. The thing was, he and Magnus hooked up a lot. It was casual, sure, and it was definitely good, but Alec would be lying if he said he hadn’t been trying to avoid Magnus lately. He told himself it was because he didn’t want the warlock to get attached to him, but he knew deep down that it was the other way around. That was why Alec never cuddled after sex, why he always left or kicked Magnus out straight away. He couldn’t afford to have his feelings develop into anything more than what they already were. 

Alec sighed, pushing those thoughts away, and kissed Magnus’s forehead. The warlock was sleeping lightly, his head on Alec’s chest, and Alec felt his heart constrict. He knew Magnus couldn’t stay, but it was still hard to wake Magnus up and tell him, as gently as he could, to go home. Magnus, still sleepy, nodded agreeably and gathered his clothes, slipping them on as he went. 

“Goodnight, Alexander,” he said with a yawn, and left, shutting Alec’s door behind him. Alec was alone.

“Goodnight, Magnus.”

__

Alec hadn’t seen Magnus in what felt like weeks, but in reality was only three days. He knew that wasn’t exactly a long time, but he was honestly impressed that he’d managed to go for more than a day without caving. He knocked on Magnus’s door, smoothing his shirt down, and crossed his arms. Magnus opened the door, leaning against the frame and raking his eyes down Alec’s body slowly. Alec swallowed. 

“Alexander. I was wondering when you would show up,” Magnus purred, opening the door wider. “Do come in.” Alec stepped into Magnus’s apartment, pressing a kiss to the warlock’s lips as he did. He took a seat on the armrest of a chair and watched as Magnus made them drinks. 

“So,” he said awkwardly, “how have you been?” Magnus gave him a weird look.

“Are you making small talk? What’s that about?” he teased. 

Alec didn’t have an answer, so instead of trying to come up with one, he walked casually over to Magnus and pressed against his back, placing a kiss where his neck met his shoulder. He felt Magnus go still. He sucked lightly on the same spot, wrapping his arms around Magnus’s waist. The warlock tilted his head to the side, and Alec kissed a careful line up to his jaw, feeling Magnus push back against him. He stepped away, and Magnus turned around to face him. Alec grabbed his waist and pulled their bodies together, beginning to walk backward toward where he thought the bedroom was. Magnus was kissing him, and Alec heard his blood rushing in his ears, felt his hands shaking on Magnus’s waist, tasted the wine Magnus must have been drinking before Alec got there. He suddenly felt a wall behind him, realized he must have walked into it instead of the hallway. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t see where he was going, nor could he really pay attention with Magnus kissing him the way he was. Alec pulled away just long enough to get some sense of direction, then resumed kissing Magnus, actually stumbling toward the bedroom this time. 

__

Alec knew he had to go home. He was in Magnus’s bed, which was unfairly comfortable, and it was late. They’d actually fucked twice, something they rarely had time for, but the extra round had tired Alec out more than usual, and he was finding it difficult to get up. Magnus was curled around him, asleep, one leg thrown over Alec’s hips and a hand on his shoulder. Alec felt a pang in his chest when he realized that he never wanted to leave, and it jolted him back into reality.

That’s enough of that, he thought. He disentangled himself from Magnus gently, trying not to wake him. He slipped his clothes on, tugged on his shoes, and was about to open the door when he heard Magnus say something.

“Alexander,” his voice was soft and heavy with sleep. “Stay.” Alec turned to look at him, longing flooding his veins, replacing his blood, filling his lungs, keeping his heart beating. He made his way to the bed, pressed a kiss to Magnus’s temple.

“I can’t,” he said. “I need to get back to the institute. They’ll realize I’m gone soon.”

“But it’s late,” Magnus protested, sitting up. “I don’t want you walking back by yourself. What if something happens to you? It’ll be my fault. Can’t you just leave tomorrow morning?” He sounded so dejected, and Alec couldn’t take it. He kicked off his shoes, slid his jacket onto the floor, crawled back into the bed, leaned his forehead against Magnus’s, and said, against his better judgement, “Okay. I’ll stay.”

Magnus’s face brightened, and he cuddled up against Alec again. Alec relaxed against him, pulling the covers up and wrapping his arms around Magnus. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, Alec thought, to fall in love with him.

“Goodnight, Alexander,” Magnus murmured happily.

Alec felt himself smile, and he kissed the top of Magnus’s head.

“Goodnight, Magnus.”


	7. Baking Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a random collection of Malec oneshots I'm writing to help get rid of the lack of creativity I've had lately
> 
> //
> 
> Magnus and Alec are baking, and they have some fun while they wait for the cookies to be done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff! Smut! Fluff! Smut! What is even happening in this!
> 
> Honestly, I don't know what this is. The prompt was "I can fix that", but I took it in a completely different direction than I expected to? Why are they baking? Don't have sex in a kitchen while you're baking?? Who knows what this is! It's cute though!
> 
> Anyway, enjoy I guess!

“I can’t believe you convinced me to do this,” Alec grumbled. He was standing in his boyfriend’s kitchen, looking up a chocolate chip cookie recipe. “I don’t bake ever, this is going to be a disaster.” Magnus giggled and as he walked to the cabinet above the sink, stopping to kiss Alec’s shoulder.

“All you need to do is follow the recipe. It’s gonna be easy, I promise,” he said, then added, “Besides, I’m an excellent baker. In fact, we probably don’t even need the recipe. Just follow my instructions.” 

Alec rolled his eyes at that. Magnus was not, in fact, an excellent baker. The last time he had made Alec cupcakes, they had practically been in liquid form. How does that even happen? Magnus sounded endearingly excited about the cookies, but Alec had his doubts.

“Let’s… use the recipe, just in case,” he said carefully. 

“Alec, stop being so worried. This will be fun!"

"How will this be fun? I hate baking," Alec said pointedly.

"I can fix that! How about every time we finish a step in the recipe, you get a kiss?”

That perked Alec up. 

“What are we waiting for then? Okay, first, we need to preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then, we need three quarters of a cup of granulated sugar. What the fuck is granulated sugar?”

“It’s just regular sugar,” Magnus laughed, getting it out of the cabinet and going back to Alec. He stood up on his tiptoes and pressed his lips to Alec’s softly. “What next?”

“Three quarters of a cup of brown sugar. Do we have brown sugar?” Magnus pulled that down from the cabinet as well, following it up with another kiss. “Okay, now one cup of softened butter, a teaspoon of vanilla, and one egg. Then we’re mixing all of these together.”

Magnus went around the kitchen collecting the ingredients, stopping to kiss his boyfriend each time he got one.

“You’re right, this is fun,” Alec admitted. He and Magnus dumped all of the ingredients into the bowl (“Alec! You can’t just put the entire egg in!” “Why not?” “Because we’re not supposed to add the shell, just the yolk! We have to crack it first!” “Well it didn’t say that in the recipe!” “It’s common knowledge, Alexander!”), and Alec went back to look at the recipe. 

“Okay, we need two and a quarter cups of flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, and half a teaspoon of salt,” he read. Magnus collected the ingredients, set them next to their bowl, and put his arms around Alec. He leaned in, but rather than kiss Alec’s lips, Magnus went for his neck. He kissed a line down to Alec’s collarbone, biting the skin there, then licking over it. Alec whined.

“You can’t do that, it’s cheating,” he said breathlessly, but Magnus continued to kiss his neck, mouth hot and wet on Alec’s skin. He was seriously about to lose his mind or something when Magnus pulled back suddenly, smirking.

“Alright, what next?” he asked innocently.

Alec blinked. “Uh.”

“The recipe, babe,” Magnus reminded him. Alec nodded.

“Right, right, um, we get the chocolate chips, and, uh, stir those into the bowl. With the flour and salt and other stuff.” He felt a bit disoriented, and he was sure there would be bruises on his neck later.

While Magnus stirred the ingredients together, Alec forced his heart rate to return to normal. He helped Magnus put spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking pan, then shoved it into the oven. Magnus licked the spoon before discarding it in the sink.

“Okay, now we let them bake for 8-10 minutes, or until-,” Alec was saying, but he was interrupted by Magnus’ lips against his. He felt hands in his hair, tugging gently, and he groaned, walked Magnus back until they were against the counter, bodies pressed together. He brushed his tongue against Magnus’ lower lip, and Magnus opened his mouth. Alec could taste the cookie batter Magnus had eaten, and he chased after the flavor. He ran his hands over Magnus’ shoulders, down his chest, under his shirt, exploring the muscles there.

Magnus pulled away, breathing heavy, and said, “Wait, did we set a timer for the cookies?”

Alec didn’t really care, if he was being honest. He shrugged absently, then resumed kissing Magnus. He put his hands on Magnus’ thighs, lifted him up so he was sitting on the counter, and kissed along his jawline, sucking on a spot below his ear, and Magnus whimpered. Alec felt legs wrap around his waist, and he was being pulled closer to his boyfriend, so they were chest to chest. Magnus’ arms went around his neck, and he kissed Alec, deep and slow. He sighed, and Alec swallowed the sound.

“Alec,” Magnus said against his lips. “I need you.”

Alec was suddenly all too aware of how hard he was, desire coursing through his veins. He reached down to unbutton Magnus’ jeans, and his boyfriend lifted his hips so Alec could pull them down. He was pleased to see Magnus was just as turned on as he was.

He raised his hand to Magnus’ mouth. Without breaking eye contact, Magnus sucked on Alec’s fingers, coating them with spit. His eyes were dark, and Alec’s heart was hammering. He slid his fingers out of Magnus’ mouth, kissed him hard, bit his bottom lip. He wrapped his hand around Magnus and began stroking lightly, teasing.

“Alec, please,” Magnus groaned. His hands were twisted in Alec’s hair, and Alec could feel them trembling.

Alec moved his hand even slower, and Magnus squeezed his eyes shut, pressed his forehead against Alec’s.

“Fuck, you’re such a tease,” he complained, but his voice was shaky.

“But you love me.” Alec squeezed Magnus on the upstroke, and Magnus let out a choked noise. Alec started stroking faster, loving the visual before him. Magnus’ eyes were half closed, his chest rising and falling quickly, random words tumbling from his mouth.

“Fuck, Alec, shit, you’re so hot, so good, fuck, _fuck_ ,” he was saying.

Alec kissed him hard, bit his bottom lip, and twisted his hand as he stroked Magnus’ cock.

“Alec, please, fuck, I can’t, I’m gonna,” Magnus said helplessly, and then he was coming apart, his face buried in Alec’s neck, gasping a string of curses and Alec’s name.

They stayed like that for a few moments, Magnus’ harsh breathing filling the quiet room, and Alec wiped his hand on a nearby paper towel before Magnus was scrambling down off the counter, buttoning his pants, pushing Alec against the opposite wall, and dropping to his knees. 

He looked up at Alec, asking permission, and Alec nodded eagerly. Magnus pulled Alec’s sweats down, running his fingers along the underside of Alec’s cock, before he pressed Alec’s hips into the wall and took him in his mouth. Alec’s head dropped back against the wall, and he slid his hands into Magnus’ hair, not pushing or pulling, just resting them there, grasping at some sort of purchase. 

Magnus’ mouth on him was hot and persistent, sucking and licking and humming. Alec’s knees were shaking, and he was grateful for the wall behind him, holding him up, because he was sure he wouldn’t be able to stand otherwise. Magnus was working wonders on him, and he gasped when Magnus’ tongue flicked over his slit. 

“Magnus, fuck,” he breathed. His voice was loud in the otherwise quiet kitchen, and he was vaguely aware of a sweet smell, something like cookies, when Magnus went down to the base of Alec’s cock, his nose brushing against the dark hair curling there, and Alec swore. He felt his release building, and he tugged on Magnus’ hair, a warning.

“Magnus, gonna come,” he gasped. Magnus pulled back, but didn’t pull off completely. He met Alec’s gaze, sucked on the head of his cock, and raised an eyebrow, and then Alec was coming, his legs shaking, his vision slightly blurry before he shut his eyes, twisting Magnus’ hair around his fingers. 

Magnus pulled away when he was done, standing up and brushing Alec’s hair out of his face. Alec leaned against the wall, still trembling, and Magnus pressed against him, kissing him softly.

“Wasn’t that a good idea?” he said, and Alec smiled.

“Very much so,” he responded. Magnus’ frowned then, sniffing, and his eyes widened.

“Shit! The cookies!”

Oh yeah. Alec had forgotten about those.

Magnus rushed over to the oven and threw the door open.

“Oh, _no_ , they’re all burned,” Magnus said dejectedly. He turned to Alec accusingly. “I told you we forgot to set a timer!”

Alec laughed, going over to crowd Magnus’ space, kissing him.

“We can bake another batch, okay?” he said in between kisses.

“Really?” Magnus asked.

“Of course,” Alec told him, putting his hands on Magnus’ waist and smirking. “I love baking with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, don't fool around in the kitchen, that's so unsanitary!
> 
> So yeah, that was fun, right? *shrugs*
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this!


End file.
